What Hermione Knows
by American Punk
Summary: Summary inside. HGSS. Now without all the nifty little distracting boxes!I will be continuing this story and writing many others despite Deathly Hallows. The books are nothing without their fans, and I wish to interpret the end differently.


Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea, and I probably don't even own that. 

Summary: The war is over, Voldemort is dead, and the only thing left to do is to try and sentence the death eaters that served him. The long awaited trial of Severus Snape is in process when none other than War hero Hermione Granger intercedes.

**Hermione Granger's Sixth Year at Hogwarts**

Hermione waited impatiently for the spiral staircase to carry her to the headmaster's door. She has a Defense Against the Dark Arts paper to complete and with Professor Snape as the teacher, she was going to be sure that it was absolutely flawless. The man was a brilliant potions master, but he did seem to have an even greater gift for the dark arts and the defense against them. There was no way she was going to allow him to criticize her essay again. The comments of "Poorly researched" and "incomplete explanation" that he'd written in the margin had infuriated her more than anything else. She would have him admit before the school year was over that her papers were not near perfection but perfection in writing. He would acknowledge her as his equal. Even now she had to admit she should count her blessings that he wasn't as outwardly verbally abusive as he had been in prior years.

After what seemed like an eternity, she faced the door and, taking a breath, she opened it.

"You wished to see me Headmaster?"

He had his back turned to her as he was surveying something he held in his hand.

"Yes, Ms. Granger. Frankly, I've brought you here because I need your help, because Severus needs your help. He'd never admit it but he's in more trouble than he's ever been in before, and I may not be around long enough to help him. I want you to become his apprentice, not in defense against the dark arts, but in potions. He's still responsible for brewing all the potions that are to be used in the infirmary. Get to know him, get close to him. When something happens to me, the first thing I want you to do is come to my office. You will find what I want you to have in the third drawer of my desk. It is warded so you will be the only one to open it. That is all, you may go when you wish. I will inform Severus that you will be his new apprentice."

"Headmaster?" Hermione began, but he cut her off.

"The less you ask, the better. All will be revealed in due course. Now I must insist you go, I do believe that you've been assigned a rather difficult essay in Defense Against the Dark Arts and no doubt you wish to perfect it several days before it is due."

Hermione nodded numbly, suppressing the overwhelming need to question the Headmaster until she understood everything perfectly. She instead nodded and turned out the door, mind whirling with the facts that Dumbledore had given her. She wasn't one to accept anything at face value. There were more things happening than what the elderly headmaster had confided to her, and she would find it out even if it meant using some of her time she'd scheduled for studying to do so.

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Severus Snape paced his study. Damn Narcissa and her ability to manipulate him. She'd been able to do so ever since they had been in Hogwarts together. He felt like a fool; damn but he was a fool. It was all the fault of the bloody Dark Lord. Tosser. He was going to have to find out what Draco's mission was. The stupid boy had allowed himself to get involved in this even though he'd advised him against it. The Dark Lord was using his love for his family against him. He knew that would happen. One of the reasons he'd done so well in all of this was the fact that he loved no one. He could have no collateral used against him. He was dead inside. Nothing mattered to him anymore. The only reason that he was on the side of the light was because of his life debts to James Potter and Albus Dumbledore. He physically couldn't be on the Dark Lord's side. The life debt had never been repaid to James, but had been repaid to his son tenfold. However, he was grateful to Dumbledore for saving him from not only a life in Azkaban, but after a particularly nasty Death Eaters meeting he was only minutes from death when the Headmaster had stumbled upon him and wouldn't take his ravings of "Let me die damn you!" seriously. He lived against his will and was indebted to the old man. Now he couldn't imagine actually being an agent of the Dark Lord. He'd grown so used to his role as a double agent that he never let down his facade. He was, and always would be, Severus Snape, spy.

The fireplace burst into flame and he glanced at the clock, 7:30 already. Every evening for almost two years he and the Headmaster had these meetings. It had become a part of his life. A deadly dull and monotonous part, but a part none the less. He knelt before the familiar image of Dumbledore's face.

"Honestly Albus, must we do this every day? There's nothing for us to discuss right now."

"Quite the contrary my boy, there rather is. You have a new apprentice."

Severus Snape prided himself upon the fact that he was rarely shocked by anything. This however stunned him.

"I have an apprentice?" His voice was deadly low, "may I inquire as to who it is, or am I not allowed to know ahead of time?"

"I think you'll quite approve of the student. She rather bright. It's Ms. Hermione Granger."

"Absolutely not."

"Oh, why ever not? We both know you'll be quite busy with your new class and you still need to brew all of the potions. She can help grade papers, and I've heard that she's an excellent brewer, although Professor Slughorn tells me that Harry is doing remarkably well this year. Perhaps you'd prefer Harry, then?"

"I'd rather rot in Azkaban for the rest of my life than be forced to spend more time with Potter."

"Then it's settled. I'm sure the two of you will be able to work out a schedule just fine on your own. That's all then. Good night Severus."

With that the Headmaster's head disappeared. Severus sat heavily in a chair, cradling his head between his hands. The man always had the insane ability to give him the biggest migraines. He couldn't deny his wishes, it looked as though he was going to have to put up with the annoying know-it-all. Unless she quit on him. Then he really couldn't be blamed now could he? He had a plan of action. He was going to be so cruel and brusque that the girl ran out in tears. He'd have her gone in less than a week he was sure. This may be more interesting than he'd thought.

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Hermione shifted in her chair. Professor Snape was glaring at her again. It was making her immensely uncomfortable. He'd said nothing after he assigned the class reading. She assumed he'd done so to ensure it remained silent in the classroom. She had long since read what had been assigned and was merely waiting for him to address the class.

"Ms. Granger," the class looked up at Professor Snape's curt voice. "Think you so special that you need not read what has been assigned to the rest of the class? Perhaps you believe that you can skate through life with the knowledge you've already acquired, but you cannot. You will fail if you refuse to do what you've been told!"

She was taken aback by the venom in his voice, then blushed furiously as Draco Malfoy began to snicker at her.

Anger sparking, she answered quickly, "For your information, I've already finished the reading and was waiting for everyone else in the class to finish. So, if, by your standards, the ability to read and absorb information quickly is punishable, then by all means, assign me a detention. I'm sure you'll find some way to rationalize it as acceptable in your mind."

Professor Snape cocked a brow at her impertinence. "Careful, Granger, you wouldn't want your grade to suddenly drop. What a pity it would be for a prefect to fail a class, especially a Gryffindor student. I'm sure Professor McGonagall would be simply shocked."

Hermione was furiously speechless. Bastard. Bloody prick.

"I'm sure she would be. So shocked, in fact, that she may even take the time to investigate the reason my grade so quickly plummeted. I'd hate to be the one she confronted about it, wouldn't you, Professor?"

She had to admit, it was rather amusing to verbally spar with the man. Even more amusing when it appeared as though she won. He obviously didn't think the same way she did. He was incensed, it showed around his nose. His nostrils flared in a most unattractive way and his eyes flashed at her. Normally she realized that she would feel a bit frightened by him, but ever since the Headmaster informed her that she would be his apprentice, she decided that, as she was going to be working with him, he may as well get used to the fact that she had a very quick mouth. Perhaps, he may even begin to treat her as his equal as she had previously hoped for. Whatever was going to happen, she did know one thing. As of now, it was Hermione-1 Snape-0.

The tension in the room was palpable. No one had ever dared to speak to professor Snape in such a way. They were all waiting to see how he reacted to this newly found gumption. He spun on his heel and walked to his desk.

"I'd suggest, Ms. Granger, that before you deign to tell me that you can so easily absorb information you turn in a flawless essay, because once again I find your most recent essay sorely lacking."

Now it was Hermione's turn to be furious. That essay was positively flawless. He was taking Dumbledore's interference out on her. She wasn't going to have it.

"My mistake sir." she interjected silkily, "perhaps you'd like to point out to me where I've gone wrong and give me a few pointers as to how I can improve my writing until you have no more quarrel with it."

Once again he arched a brow at her impertinence. Hermione-2 Snape-0. This was going to make her apprenticeship much more interesting. Perhaps she'd even force him to take a weekend at St. Mungo's. That would be excellent. The bell rang then, cutting off any snide remark he may have wanted to make. As everyone rushed to gather their things professor Snape's voice rang throughout the classroom.

"Ms. Granger, I do believe that you should stay after class, you need all the help on your essays that you can get."

The last comment stung as though she'd been slapped in the cold rain. Bastard, bastard, bastard. Apparently, now it was Hermione-2 Snape-1.

The room emptied and Hermione remained sitting until everyone was gone.

"Well," Professor Snape began, "that was quite the unorthodox way to casually keep you after class, but it worked. However in the future, I will not allow such impertinence from my apprentice. If we are going to be forced to spend time with one another, I'd suggest you do not make me wish to strangle you. This will work out so much easier if we both remain alive and out of Azkaban."

"I just want to state now that I had no choice in the matter, and apparently neither did you. The headmaster has a peculiar way of manipulating people."

"It's because he's an old fool whom everyone wants to please before he dies."

Hermione managed to stifle her laughter. Under normal circumstances she doubted that she would find anything he said amusing.

"Now then," his voice sounded as though he was dealing with a small and rather unintelligent child, "do you think that you could possibly make it for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, or is that too much for you?"

"Stop antagonizing me, I'll make whatever days I have to come." Hating herself for her need to ask she swallowed her pride and said "Just what was wrong with my essay?"

He tossed it carelessly on her desk. "When I say I want two parchments, I mean two. Not four. I don't need to read you ramble on and on, I already have to hear you. Restrict what you write, if I'm ever presented with one of your bloody novels again, I'll throw it out and give you a T."

Hermione was taken aback. But that meant...

"So there was nothing wrong with the information, then."

"No, however, I'm sure you don't actually enjoy doing all the research you must do for all of this, and if you don't want to go blind by the time you reach twenty-five stop trying to impress me. You won't ever do it."

With that last comment he spun on his heel to his private offices, leaving Hermione behind in the classroom.

Hermione-2 Snape-2. Damn, they were on an even scale again.

Review or not. No matter how long your review is, it won't impress me. I'd suggest you make it short unless you want to go blind from staring at a computer screen for hours everyday. Oh, btw, if anyone has seen Snape, send him back my way. He's seem to run off again. I guess I'll have to put him back on the leash.  
--American Punk--


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